# data[].attributes.body
The illustration showcases the living room in my Moscow apartment, a place where I took first breaths, learned to speak and walk, and embraced life. Growing up in a family of political refugee from Russia, this space served as a sanctuary from the authoritarian and harsh world outside. However, it also represented a haunting reminder of the impacts of political oppression, as my family's property rights and sense of safety in their own home were constantly threatened.

The artwork combines visual and textual elements to enhance the emotional resonance and more effectively convey its intended message. By utilizing a combination of visual and written components, the piece offers a multi-layered interpretation that amplifies the impact of its central idea.

The composition of the piece is comprised of four key elements, each of which is essential to fully understanding its message. It is recommended to begin by examining the bottom of the artwork. On the bottom edges, one will find the text "The Window into the Past" written in four different languages: Russian, Spanish, French, and German. The use of these four languages highlights the intention to universalize the experience of oppression and create a common language with the viewers. By incorporating these languages, the artwork invites the audience to connect with the personal story it is telling and understand its message on a deeper level.

The second important element to consider is the carpet. The use of bright colors in its depiction is immediately noticeable to even an inattentive viewer. In the center of the carpet, one can see an aura of a person (representing the artist), who is nearly lost within the mix of colors. The vibrant palette was chosen to symbolize the creation of a unique, personal world within the confines of the carpet, as a means of escape from the harsh reality of political oppression. However, the fragile nature of this escape is ironically mocked by the Russian text "Sit down and stay silent," which invades the carpet area. This serves as a reminder that even the creative mind and coping mechanisms of an innocent child cannot sustain illusions forever and are constantly subjected to the constraints of external forces.

The irony in the piece continues with the wordplay embodied in the ambiguity of the phrase "Sit down" in Russian. In colloquial language, it also carries the connotation of going to prison and serving a sentence, further emphasizing the idea of living in an environment where family members are subjected to politically motivated sentences. The phrase "Stay silent" highlights the loss of voice, opinion, and hope in a dictatorship where the rules and rights of freedom of expression are suppressed. These elements work together to paint a picture of the constant fear, uncertainty, and loss of control that come with living under oppressive political regimes. The text serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of political oppression and the importance of speaking out against injustice.

Another noteworthy aspect of the artwork is the text written on the aura that reads "I, you, we" in Russian. This is meant to convey a sense of unity and shared experience. Despite each family member adapting to their situation in different ways, the oppressive actions of the government still managed to deeply wound each of them. However, the feeling of surviving these hardships together helped make the experience less isolating. The use of the personal pronoun "I" along with the inclusive "you" and "we" emphasizes the personal and collective nature of the experience and underscores the idea that political oppression affects individuals and communities alike.

The third key element is the sofa and the cupboard on the right side of the canvas. The sofa is depicted in a dirty green color, reminiscent of the colors of military uniforms, and serves as a representation of the military dictatorship in the country. The sofa also serves as a metaphor for the bloody and oppressive throne of the dictator, offering nothing aesthetically pleasing or beautiful, just dirt and pain. The text elements "Sit down and stay silent" and "Walls also hear what you say" in Russian further emphasize the theme of repression and censorship in the country. The addition of the phrase "Walls also hear what you say" highlights the fear of surveillance and the threat of informers, drawing a historical parallel with the Soviet Union where the KGB monitored and controlled the population. The sofa serves as a powerful visual symbol of the ongoing personal struggle against dictatorship and oppression in the country.

The cupboard serves as a metaphor for the personal and emotional toll that the political oppression has taken on the family. It symbolizes the accumulation of all the suppressed feelings and the broken hopes of the family members after years of facing both governmental and personal hardships. The text "The cupboard of empty and broken hopes" captures the pessimistic reality of the family's life and the feeling of loss and acceptance. It represents the artist's realization that looking back at the past through this window is no longer sustainable. The cupboard acts as a transition between the bottom and upper parts of the work, as the bottom part showcases the artist's childhood and adolescent memories while the upper part reflects the grown-up perspective on the situation and the gradual fading of the false notion of home. The cupboard serves as a powerful visual representation of the personal impact of political oppression and the struggle to move forward despite it.

The final element, the balcony and its windows, serves as a symbol of hope and the newfound perspective of the artist. The repetition of the text "Home?" emphasizes the questioning of what truly constitutes a home and the significance it holds in defining one's identity. The transition from darkness to light through the narrowing windows showcases the artist's aspiration to turn over a new leaf and create a brighter future, while acknowledging the pain and struggles of the past. The process of reflection and self-discovery is not meant to erase previous experiences and emotions, but rather to find a way to heal and move forward in a more sustainable manner. The artwork, with its combination of visual and text elements, successfully conveys the complex emotions and thoughts behind the artist's journey from oppression to hope.

# data[].attributes.body
The artwork depicts a woman exhaling. The magazine's parts that cover her neck and part of her body depict leaves, which symbolize the idea of nature being taken away piece by piece. The leaves being torn from the magazines signify the destruction of nature, as it is being reduced to just pages in a magazine and nothing more. The greenish color that her skin emits represents the poisoning of the earth due to human activities, and highlights the urgency of the need to change the way we treat the environment.

The exhaustion of the woman and the fading of the bright color from her lips suggest that she is unable to continue to sustain herself in the face of human destruction. The fact that her lips are no longer bright and vivid emphasizes the distress she is in and how close she is to dying from lack of air to breathe. The image of the woman exhaling is meant to convey a message of the dire consequences of human irresponsibility and the destruction of the environment, and serves as a call to action to change our ways and protect the earth.

The image of the woman suffocating amidst a sea of printed leaves highlights the cruel irony of our modern consumerist culture. The leaves, symbols of life and vitality, have been reduced to mere images on a page, unable to provide the life-sustaining oxygen they were created to produce. This mirrors the damaging impact of our relentless consumption of products in a capitalistic society, where we are surrounded by illusions that promise comfort and pleasure, but in reality, only contribute to the degradation of our environment. The image serves as a powerful reminder of the urgency to re-evaluate our consumption habits and prioritize the health of the planet and future generations.

Moreover, it is crucial to observe the way the artist depicted the eyes. The fiery hues used for the iris symbolize the destructive nature of human production. Fire, although often associated with progress and growth, in this context represents the harm and destruction caused by our actions. The use of ash-like colors for the eyelids further underscores this message, suggesting the fading and eventual disappearance of what was once alive and thriving, due to our neglect and disregard for the environment.